A little update on New Captain Scarlet DVD.

by **shadokp** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:15 pm

Can we do anything to promote this series?

I am think of what the Browncoats tried to do for Serenity and while I understand that we don't have the large initial numbers to start a massive campaign but is there something we can do to raise the awareness of the series.

Instead of an ad in a paper, what about an article. Can we contact various papers and attempt to get an article placed within the next couple of weeks to talk about the series and how good it is, possibly throwing in ITV jabs and ultimately mentioning the DVD release on October 17?

Are there popular forums like DVD, TV series and movie forums in the UK and beyond that we can kindly remind people that the DVD is coming out?

What about non Fanderson conventions? Have there been freebies and such to promote the series at these shows?

I did notice that the bootlegs of the series have started showing up in the U.S. at conventions and while I don't like to see this, it could help with a little word of mouth promotion before the series comes out in the U.S.

Any ideas or should we not even bother.

KP

by **Father Unwin** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:36 pm

I tried to pass on the suggestion about a promo DVD of Instrument of Destruction Part 1 being given free of charge to a national newspaper to various key players but have only had one (good) response so far.

Firstly, I emailed Lieutenant Green via the official NCS website. On a couple of previous occasions I have had a reply from Mark Sherwood, the Line Producer, via this route so I hope that at least he gets to see the suggestion.

Secondly, I emailed Fanderson with the suggestion and this morning got a nice (brief) reply from Nick Williams, the Secretary and Treasurer, who said that "It's certainly an interesting idea, which I've forwarded to Gerry".

Thirdly, I emailed Granada Ventures with the request that my message be passed on to Gerry Donohoe, the Managing Director. I think Gerry Donohoe is credited as an Associate Producer on NCS so I would think that he is sympathetic.

by **shaqui** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:44 pm

shadokp wrote:Can we do anything to promote this series?

Any ideas or should we not even bother.

I'm not opposed to promoting the series - it was great to do the NCS mag preview and hopefully get people aware of that. But while I very much want the series to do well, i'm kinda relenting because i think someone, somewhere, has f*cked up big time with regard to promoting the show, and I'd rather that person got their ass kicked. Why have Sony and/or Granada backed (and I presume that means funded) a multi-million pound series, only to see it die in a little seen slot on a Saturday morning?

It's 'Space Precinct' all over again, and while I can't say I like the series as a whole, it deserved a better slot. Sky in the UK first screened it a 8pm on a Saturday, and it was a cracking slot compared to BBC 2's fizzle cult SF schudule on weekday teatimes. And in the USA it debuted at 2AM IN THE MORNING! Who the hell sold that?

I'm more interested in whether the show isn't being backed comprehensively by its distributors, or whether TV schedulers really couldn't give a damn about what they buy and what they do with it...

:evil:

by **shadokp** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 2:24 pm

Father Unwin, Mark Sherwood must be getting e-mails with duplicate ideas as I too have been in contact with him. I have yet to hear from him on the promotion ideas but at one point he was very interested in hearing more from the fans and I sent him a link to this forum - not sure if he had the time to join up yet.

It does feel like someone or some people should be thinking of and doing all this promotion and not us. Someone is getting paid and maybe they are trying but we don't know what the real story is.

Hearing that a new series of NCS is possible if the show does well in the U.S. gives a glimmer of hope and maybe the promotion will be handled well over here.

I do remember contacting the company that promoted Space Precinct in the U.S. (Grove Television?) and the show did very well when given a prime time or early evening slot but that only happened in a couple of places and I am afraid that NCS will have the same fate.

Father Unwin - sounds like you contacted the key people and groups to attempt to get something going.

KP

by **shadokp** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 5:37 pm

Not to beat a dead horse but another thing that helps with promotion are web sites and the official Captain Scarlet website is not only way out of date, it is really slow and barely working.

Fanderson has not updated their NCS section either

These sort of things are noticeable when people are first looking into a new series - if they see that nothing has been updated - they may lose interest as well.

KP

by **Chris C** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 1:18 pm

Back to flogging that dead horse again, but I meant to mention this a while ago and kept forgetting. Last time the showed OCS on tv, they also gave away little plastic figures, the SPV and the red car in childrens cereal boxes. I don't know how much that sort of thing costs, but it would have been a good way to push the new series in front of most people. I had to do some swaps at work, and there were several other people who had kids collecting them. I noticed this morning they are giving away Scooby Doo DVD's with some cereals now too. It just makes me think even more that the the problem here always has been apathy from Granada. It's not difficult to advertise anything!!

by **shadokp** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 3:37 pm

TV Century 21 reports that KFC may have a deal with some NCS toys - interested to see that go forward!!

KP

by **shadokp** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 1:05 am

I think the Amazon ranking for the NCS DVD set has reached its best so far - in the 200's. Let's hope the promotion of it picks up over the next couple of weeks.

Has anyone looked into helping to promote or raise the awareness of the show? There was some discussion on the General thread about promoting the DVD then it got really quiet. Have there been any adds or reviews in anything?

KP

by **Chris C** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 11:18 am

Ultimate DVD has an interview with Gerry Anderson about the show, but it says it's reviewing the DVD's next month.

by **shadokp** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 4:14 pm

Amazon.co.uk's site has NCS DVD box set in the 200 ranking area - getting better - the more that buy it the more the word will spread. I wonder if there will be an increase in ratings this Saturday?

The banner at the top is a nice bit of promotion!!

KP

by **chrisbishop** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 5:24 pm

shadokp wrote:The banner at the top is a nice bit of promotion!!

Thank you! I've been following in the background the exchange that had been going on about how to help promote the DVD release of the new series (So now for those who are wondering, I DO read all the posts on this forum...). I've been wondering how I could do a little more myself. The banner is the best I could think of, after having seen a similar one on Amazon about the upcoming Star Wars DVD release. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't provide a personalised Scarlet banner, so I had to build it myself.

by **Crank** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 6:43 pm

There's a review for the box set in the latest issue of Dreamwatch.

It's very positive stating that Anderson is very much back on form, in fact they didn't have a negative thing to say about it!

Considering how glowing the report they gave it was I'm surprised they only awarded it 7 out of 10!

There's also a short interview with Anderson on the same page.

by **spurge321** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:51 pm

Just checked on Amazon, sales are now ranked at 203...looking quite promising considering its not even released yet.

by **shadokp** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 4:01 pm

I am a little disappointed that the NCS web site has never been updated - what a great and easy way to promote the DVD, toys and the magazine.

This is true for a lack of update on the Fanderson website There is no season 2 info and no recent mention of anything.

KP

by **shadokp** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 2:56 am

NCS is at 160 ranking on Amazon - the lowest number I've seen so far. I had hoped it would pop into the top 25 one day but I think I will be happy with top 100!!

KP